Donate: Salvation Army seeks Christmas toys for disadvantaged kids

The Salvation Army is in desperate need of donated toys to give to disadvantaged children. We urge the community to help.

The economy has adversely affected the community this year and the nonprofit said it is struggling to meet the volume of need in Guam. For this reason, the nonprofit's Toy Shop gift assistance program has collected only a handful of toys -- about 15 -- out of the thousands it must collect. The Toy Shop is set to open Dec. 19.

"Sadly, with the number of toys collected so far, it seems unlikely that the shop will be filled in time for distribution, leaving hundreds of families without gifts under their tree this Christmas," according to the group.

This year, 1,300 children have been registered to receive gifts and the Toy Shop is expecting an additional 500 children to sign up on a waiting list. The goal is to give each child two gifts. The Salvation Army needs to fill the shelves before Dec. 19, when it will open the shop for the registered families.

"These children range in age from newborns up to 17 years old. Upon the day of distribution parents are ushered into the toy shop, and allowed to pick items for their children. The gifts are then discreetly bagged and the parents are given the option to have their gifts wrapped, free of charge, by community volunteers," the group said. "The toys are intended to be gifted from the parents, and not directly from the assistance program."

Many of the families who come to Santa's Toy Shop have been affected by a recent loss of income. The Salvation Army is asking for gifts, especially those appropriate for teenagers and for newborns. The group also needs wrapping paper, tape and heavy-duty black trash bags.

We call on the entire community to help. Together we can make this miracle happen.